Insulated transport cabinets for food and the like

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an insulated transport cabinet for food or the like having a housing, a door, a hinge cover, and a hinge pin. The housing includes a barrel portion adjacent to a front surface and extending between top and bottom ends. The barrel portion includes a longitudinal axis, a gap separating the barrel portion into top and bottom barrel sections having first and second passageways aligned with the longitudinal axis, respectively. The door includes a hinge adjacent to a side surface and including a third passageway aligned with the longitudinal axis. An inner surface of the hinge pin complements an outer surface of the hinge. The hinge pin passes through the first, third, and second passageways. The door pivots about the longitudinal axis between an open position and a closed position. The longitudinal axis is offset from a center plane of the door.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A thermally-insulated food transport cabinet comprising:
 a housing comprising a front side and an interior compartment that is accessible from the front side of the housing; 
 a door attached to the housing at the front side of the housing and pivotable about a longitudinal axis between an open position enabling access to the interior compartment and a closed position preventing access to the interior compartment, the door comprising a back side that sealingly engages the front side of the housing when the door is in the closed position and a front side that is spaced apart from the back side in a first direction, wherein the longitudinal axis is offset from the front side of the door in the first direction; 
 a hinge located at the front side of the housing and comprising a first hinge portion located at a side edge of the front side of the housing, a second hinge portion located at a first lateral side of the door, a hinge pin and a hinge cover; 
 the first hinge portion comprising a barrel portion extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the barrel portion comprises a top barrel section and a bottom barrel section separated by a gap, a first closed passageway in the top barrel section substantially colinear with the longitudinal axis and a second closed passageway in the bottom barrel section substantially colinear with the longitudinal axis; 
 the second hinge portion comprising an open passageway substantially colinear with the longitudinal axis; 
 wherein the hinge pin passes through the first closed passageway, the open passageway and the second closed passageway; and 
 wherein the hinge cover is attachable to the second hinge portion in a locked position which covers the open passageway of the second hinge portion and an unlocked position which exposes the open passageway of the second hinge portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein the second hinge portion comprises a slot, the slot being adjacent to and substantially parallel with the open passageway. 
     
     
       3. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 2 , wherein the hinge cover comprises an inner surface adapted to complement an outer surface of the second hinge portion;
 wherein when the hinge cover is attached to the second hinge portion in the locked position the hinge cover encloses the slot; and 
 wherein when the hinge cover is attached to the second hinge portion in the unlocked position the hinge cover exposes the slot. 
 
     
     
       4. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 3 , wherein the door is detachable from the housing when the hinge cover the unlocked position. 
     
     
       5. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge cover further comprises a living hinge disposed between a first side of the hinge cover and a second side of the hinge cover;
 wherein the living hinge is offset from the longitudinal axis in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and 
 wherein a first portion of the hinge cover is pivotable about the living hinge between the locked position and the unlocked position. 
 
     
     
       6. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 5 , wherein the hinge cover comprises a second portion located on an opposite side of the living hinge from the first portion of the hinge cover;
 wherein the second portion is fixed to the door. 
 
     
     
       7. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 6 , wherein the front side of the door comprises a receiver and the hinge cover comprises a protrusion;
 wherein the protrusion is engaged by the receiver to fix the hinge cover to the door. 
 
     
     
       8. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 7 , wherein the receiver comprises a narrow slot extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
 therein the protrusion is tree-shaped. 
 
     
     
       9. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge portion is integrally formed with the housing and the second hinge portion is integrally formed with the door. 
     
     
       10. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first cap at least partially engaging an inner surface of the first closed passageway and a second cap at least partially engaging an inner surface of the second closed passageway; 
 wherein the first cap obstructs an upper opening in the first closed passageway of the top barrel section and the second cap obstructs a lower opening in the second closed passageway in the bottom barrel section; 
 wherein the first cap and second cap cooperate to retain the hinge pin in the barrel portion. 
 
     
     
       11. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first cap at least partially engaging an inner surface of the first closed passageway and a second cap at least partially engaging an inner surface of the second closed passageway; 
 wherein the first cap obstructs an upper opening in the first closed passageway of the top barrel section and the second cap obstructs a lower opening in the second closed passageway in the bottom barrel section; 
 wherein the first cap and second cap cooperate to retain the hinge pin in the barrel portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein the back side of the door further comprises a seal comprising a rib disposed around a perimeter of the back side of the door;
 wherein the rib is shaped to complement a groove extending into a peripheral wall of the interior compartment; 
 wherein the rib sealingly engages with the groove when the door is in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       13. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 12 , wherein a cross-section of the rib taken transverse to a length of the rib is tapered along the length of the rib and at least a height of the cross-section is greater at a lengthwise center portion of the rib than at opposing lengthwise end portions of the rib. 
     
     
       14. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 13 , wherein the second hinge portion comprises a slot, the slot being adjacent to and substantially parallel with the open passageway;
 wherein the hinge cover further comprises a living hinge disposed between a first side of the hinge cover and a second side of the hinge cover; 
 wherein the living hinge is offset from the longitudinal axis in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and 
 wherein the hinge cover comprises a first portion pivotable about the living hinge between the locked position and the unlocked position and a second portion located on an opposite side of the living hinge from the first portion and fixed to the door; 
 wherein when the hinge cover is in the locked position the hinge cover encloses the slot; and 
 wherein when the hinge cover is in the unlocked position the hinge cover exposes the slot. 
 
     
     
       15. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 12 , wherein wherein the hinge cover further comprises a living hinge disposed between a first side of the hinge cover and a second side of the hinge cover;
 wherein the living hinge is offset from the longitudinal axis in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and 
 wherein the hinge cover comprises a first portion pivotable about the living hinge between the locked position and the unlocked position and a second portion located on an opposite side of the living hinge from the first portion and fixed to the door. 
 
     
     
       16. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 15 , wherein the front side of the door comprises a receiver and the second portion of the hinge cover comprises a protrusion;
 wherein the protrusion is engaged by the receiver to fix the hinge cover to the door. 
 
     
     
       17. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 16 , wherein the second hinge portion comprises a slot, the slot being adjacent to and substantially parallel with the open passageway;
 wherein when the hinge cover is in the locked position the hinge cover encloses the slot; and 
 wherein when the hinge cover is in the unlocked position the hinge cover exposes the slot. 
 
     
     
       18. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 15 , wherein the door is detachable from the housing when the hinge cover the unlocked position. 
     
     
       19. The thermally-insulated food transport cabinet of  claim 12 , wherein the door further comprises a latch slot in a second lateral side of the door opposite to the first lateral side of the door;
 and further comprising a latch comprising:
 a fixed end pivotally connected to the housing; 
 a free end; 
 a stem extending between the fixed end and the free end; and 
 a holder having an engagement side adjacent to the free end; 
 
 wherein the latch is pivotable between a locked position and an unlocked position; and 
 wherein the stem of the latch is at least partially disposed in the latch slot; and 
 wherein when the latch is in the locked position the engagement side of the holder abuts the front side of the door prevents the door from pivoting to the open position.